Clinical Care
Caring for immigrant children in politically contentious times
Facing public outrage, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently reversed their decision to end medical deferred action, a program allowing immigrants with serious illnesses to remain in the country while receiving lifesaving medical treatment. Among those most relieved by the reversal was Dr. Lakshmi Ganapathi, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital and ... Read More about Caring for immigrant children in politically contentious times
Health and Parenting
What you need to know about vaping to keep children safe
Could your child be vaping? A growing number of middle and high school students today are using vaping products, also called e-cigarettes, JUULs, or dabs (used for vaping marijuana) among other names. Signs and symptoms of vaping can be difficult for parents to notice, but talking with your kids about vaping and monitoring for concerning signs ... Read More about What you need to know about vaping to keep children safe
Our Community
Meet Meghan: Making clinical research meaningful
I’ve been working for the Experimental Therapeutics and Interventional Trials Center for nearly four years, the last two as a clinical research specialist, serving as a project manager for clinical research studies. What makes my job interesting is doing something a little different every day — anything from startup procedures to coordinating study visits with ... Read More about Meet Meghan: Making clinical research meaningful
Health and Parenting
Why are doctors prescribing play?
If you want to make sure that your child succeeds, make sure that they … play. The job of children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is to play. In fact, the AAP has a policy statement about the importance and power of play — and encourages pediatricians to do everything they can to get ... Read More about Why are doctors prescribing play?
Health and Parenting
How do I have ‘the talk’ with my tween?
When most parents think about talking to their kids about sex, it makes them very uncomfortable. It’s not exactly easy to discuss the specifics of how babies are made — especially when you are hoping that your kid doesn’t have sex until they are, well, much older. Which makes you not want to discuss it ... Read More about How do I have ‘the talk’ with my tween?
Our Community
Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Craig Birch
Dr. Craig Birch first moved to Boston for a fellowship with the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 2019, he was appointed attending physician. He grew up in Dallas, Texas. What drew you to pediatric medicine? Getting to work with kids is a big privilege and an honor. When you have ... Read More about Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Craig Birch
Research
Hope in the shadow of Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Jake was diagnosed with his first cancer — osteosarcoma — in 2007 when he was only 16 years old. Meanwhile, his mom was being treated for recurrent cancer and his brother also would soon be diagnosed with cancer. Within the space of a few years, all three family members had died. This was not the ... Read More about Hope in the shadow of Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Research
Exploring autism by way of three rare genetic disorders
Rajna Filip-Dhima, MS is a senior project manager for the Translational Neuroscience Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and for the Developmental Synaptopathies Consortium, which just received a new cycle of NIH funding. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now believed to affect 1 in 59 children in the U.S. Over the past five years, Boston Children’s Hospital ... Read More about Exploring autism by way of three rare genetic disorders
Our Community
Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Carrie Heincelman
Dr. Carrie Heincelman joined the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center as an attending physician in orthopedic oncology in August 2019. She grew up in New Mexico and is a long-time Red Sox fan. How would you describe the work of an orthopedic oncologist? Patients get sent to us, essentially, anytime there’s an abnormality found in ... Read More about Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Carrie Heincelman
Health and Parenting
Talking about a child with special needs: Tips from a mom
Our two girls, Lily (age 8) and Elise (age 6), were both diagnosed with SYNGAP1 syndrome last year. At the time there were only 250 known cases of SYNGAP1 in the world. Yes, that means our girls are 2 out of 250. It is extremely rare, and even more rare to have two children with a de ... Read More about Talking about a child with special needs: Tips from a mom